Holly Hill Downtown Historic District
National Register Listing
Street Address:
Portions of Gardner Blvd., Old State Rd., and Railroad Ave., Holly Hill (Orangeburg County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817738043
Description and Narrative:
The Holly Hill Downtown Historic District is locally significant under Commerce for its long tenure as the commercial center for the town of Holly Hill. The district consists of thirty-four resources constructed in the area around Old State Road (US 176, historically known as State Street or Main Street) and the Eutawville Railroad in Holly Hill, South Carolina. The intersection of these two transportation routes was the nucleus around which Holly Hill’s commercial area first developed, and this district encompasses the majority of the town’s commercial core from the early 1900s to the 1970s. The district is anchored by the Holly Hill Depot (1921) to the northwest, adjacent to the railroad that arrived in the town in 1886. Of the thirty-four resources in the district, twenty-seven contribute to the historic character of the district, while seven are non-contributing. The buildings were constructed between 1907 and the late-1950s, and aside from one high-style example of Classical Revival architecture and the Craftsman depot, most are one-part or two-part Commercial style buildings with varied levels of embellishment and detail. Despite a disastrous fire in 1907 that destroyed virtually all of the commercial core along its main street, Holly Hill’s advantageous location on transportation routes, its proximity to extremely rich agricultural lands, and its citizens’ enterprising spirit all contributed to the town’s resilience and continued prosperity. Multiple building booms would follow this fire, changing the face of the main street from a group of staggered, primarily wood-framed buildings to dense blocks of masonry buildings, purpose-built for commercial use with glass storefronts. From the Depression through the 1950s, new buildings in the town were generally more simplistic with little elaboration, using concrete block as the main building material. During this time, the facades of some pre-existing brick buildings along Old State Road were modernized, reflecting continued prosperity in the district as well as a desire to keep up with changing styles and compete against new suburban stores. From the 1960s onward, Holly Hill slowly turned away from its downtown, with businesses moving to larger, more car-friendly stores. Because this diminishing of downtown’s commercial significance unfolded gradually over a number of years, the period of significance for the Holly Hill Downtown Historic District ends in 1973, or fifty years before the date of listing. Listed in the National Register January 9, 2024.
Period of Significance:
1907 – 1973
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Commerce
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
January 9 2024
